Authorities in Florida have brought charges against a woman accused of fatally beating her 4-year-old adopted son and then threatening to kill her other child if he said anything about the beating.
Per NBC 6 South Florida, the accused, identified as 36-year-old Patricia Saintizaire, is said to have also physically abused the victim on other occasions. She reportedly adopted the victim from Haiti in 2023.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said officials with Orlando Health hospital got in touch with them on May 2 to report the suspicious death of a 4-year-old. Officials said the minor had sustained an abdominal injury when he was brought to the hospital. But an autopsy later determined the deceased victim had suffered a deep liver laceration as a result of a targeted blunt force trauma injury, officials added.
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Officials also said the boy’s arms and legs had fresh scars and bruises that were linked to him being subjected to abuse. Authorities said the 4-year-old had issues walking and sitting up by himself when his older brother found him.
Authorities, however, said Saintizaire told the older brother that the 4-year-old was “faking it”, NBC 6 South Florida reported. She also told him to give the victim food. The older brother later administered CPR on the victim after he became unresponsive and told Saintizaire that the 4-year-old had to be taken to the hospital.
Officials said the older brother also informed them about a conversation Saintizaire had with him. He said the suspect told him to “say nothing” when “they ask you something” so she doesn’t “get in trouble.”
Saintizaire later spoke with detectives and on multiple occasions denied using physical discipline as a means to punish the deceased victim. Detectives, however, said a review of two videos from surveillance cameras at the suspect’s home proved otherwise.
In one of the videos, Saintizaire was seen using an unidentified object to strike the victim as he lay on the ground. The other video showed the minor with his hands tied behind his back and Saintizaire throwing him into a pool.
Saintizaire has since been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and tampering with a witness.
